Author's Notes: Woah, I dunno if anyone is following this thing, but sorry this chapter took so long. It's pretty freakin long, if that makes up for it.

The Juushou fluff starts in earnest in this chapter. I've strayed from the canon in one instance involving Chazz... I have my reasons, don't worry. All will be revealed.

---

Turn 4

Rematch! Chazz Loses His Thunder

Jaden eyed the plates surrounding him. His eyes narrowed in concentration, his chop stick gleaming as it hovered in the air. Then he stuck, deft hand impaling the rice cake not only on his own plate, but on the plates of any other students unfortunate enough to be sitting within range. His chop stick became a strange shiskabob, and he managed to fit the entire thing in his mouth in one bite, drawing the stick out clean and barren.

Syrus reached for his plate idly, only to hit an empty tray. He blinked and looked around in confusion, until he saw Jaden chewing happily with rice stuck to the fuzz on his chin. The Eevee's pinned his ears back dangerously. Chumley and several other students reached the same conclusion simultaneously, and joined Syrus in turning their glares to the bug amongst them.

Jaden opened one eye and looked around innocently. "Na?"

The Venonat yelped and narrowly dodged a five-against-one Tackle attack. He bolted out into the hall of the Red dorm, and his victims gave chase.

Jaden was about to disappear into a supply closet to hide when the tall, lanky outline of his headmaster blocked his way. He skidded to a halt and looked up.

"Nya, Jaden, I was just looking for you," Banner smiled and motioned to a clipboard he held. "Would you join me in my office? Your friends can come, too."

The angry mob pursuing the Venonat slowed to a halt, and everyone besides Chumley and Syrus slunk back to the cafeteria. The trio followed the Persian into his office.

It was a simple room far too casual to be part of school administration, and seemed more like a small apartment than anything. Pharaoh was curled up on a padded shelf that was part of a vast jungle of tubes, ramps and holes, all fitted to accommodate something the size of a pudgy Meowth.

"Please, sit down, nya," Banner motioned to his couch and set his clipboard down on the coffee table. "I am brewing a pot of Wiki Berry tea. Do any of you like that?"

"I do!" Jaden shot his hand up like he was in class, then blinked. "Well, I mean, I probably do. What is it?"

"He's not going to turn down any opportunity to get something in his stomach," Syrus sighed to himself, sitting beside the Venonat.

Banner chuckled and set a tray with a teapot and several mugs on the coffee table. "Ah, yes, Jaden is Moltres Red's new garbage disposal unit, nya. However, I am afraid it is not only his stomach that gets him in some trouble."

"Wha? What'd I do now?" Jaden frowned, looking up from the mug of hot tea he had started sipping.

"I do not believe you have done anything. However... There is some, nya, administrative concern over your performance at the entrance exams. The judges cannot see that you cheated, but they also can't find out how you could have done that move legitimately." Banner tapped the report clipped to the clipboard.

"As you know, your first arena fight is coming tomorrow. If we cannot figure out how you did that move within the rules of school fights, I am afraid you will be barred from taking the test and be sent home."

"What!" Jaden and his friends recoiled at the news. The Venonat's antennae sagged sadly. "You gotta believe me, teach, I swear I don't know how I did that move. Whenever I'm in a bind, I just seem to be able to pull off something totally awesome like that!"

"Hmmm..." Banner raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Jaden, have you ever used any TMs?"

"TMs? Oh, I know how I did that now!" Jaden rummaged around his pocket and produced the TM the stranger had given him. "I was, uh, given this on the day before the test. I bet it taught me some butt-kicking move that lets me do stuff like that!"

Banner took the TM and adjusted his glasses. "Ah, Jaden... That is impossible."

"Hey, you never know! You'd never believe who gave it to me either -"

"Nya, I mean," Banner grinned slightly and turned the TM ball around, "You have not used this TM yet. You have to activate them, they do not work just by carrying them around."

"Oh." Jaden scrunched up in his seat, "Guess I kinda glossed over that part of the text book..."

Banner shook his head. "Besides, this is TM27, Return. Return's power varies, but it does not result in random elemental moves. Have you ever learned any other TMs?"

"Well, naa, I guess not. I mean, I didn't even know how to use that one," Jaden frowned.

"You've never learned any before, ever?" Syrus looked up at him, worried. They had already come too close to being expelled once, he didn't want to hear that his friend was liable to be kicked out again.

"Hmm..." Jaden looked at the ceiling, remembering, "There was this one time, when I was really little, I found a ball that looked like that one in the closet..."

"Do you remember what number was on it?" Banner pushed his glasses up, still examining the unused TM.

"Uh... I think there was a one in it, I dunno," Jaden shuffled his feet, grinning sheepishly, "I kinda ate it before I got a good look at it."

"You ate a TM!" The teacher and Jaden's friends all stared at him in disbelieving shock. Jaden just shrugged.

"Hey, gimme a break, I was like six or something," he spread his hands defensively, "I ate all kinds of weird stuff, I can't keep track of what's what."

"I suppose it is possible that the TM could have somehow activated and taught you a move," Banner furrowed his brow, and stroked his whiskers thoughtfully.

"Who says it has to be a TM at all?" Jaden hunched his shoulders and nearly sulked, "Maybe I just have some kind of hidden superpower!"

"Nya! That's it!" Banner stood suddenly, and the other three jumped. "I bet that was TM10 you... sampled, Jaden. Hidden Power teaches you a random elemental move. It varies from person to person - for you, it must have been Fire Blast."

"Well... I dunno, Dr. B," Jaden grimaced. He and Syrus looked at each other like a pair of criminals wondering just how much to confess. "You sure it can't teach me more than one, uh, random elemental move?"

"No, only one," Banner tilted his head, raising one eyebrow. "What have you two been up to?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Jaden laughed and waved his hands, "It's just, well... You know when I said I'd been run down by a pack of hungry Mightyenas and they ate my jacket, so I needed a new one? The truth is I... uh... kind of used Pin Missile accidentally."

"I saw it too," Syrus admitted, lowering his ears.

"That, and when I tried to use Fire Blast again, I couldn't," Jaden rubbed the back of his head.

Banner looked truly confused now. His tail swished as he digested all this information. "Well, Hidden Power is somewhat mysterious. No one is quite sure how it works. It is possible that, given the... unique way Jaden learned it, it produced a slightly different effect. Nya... Perhaps instead of teaching Jaden a single elemental move, it allows him to use a random elemental move each time..."

"So that means I can just attack someone with any crazy move I want?" Jaden perked up, grinning hopefully.

"I doubt it is something you have control over. Most people do not learn moves at such an early age, so it is unlikely you can even access that power consciously. As you said, it may take you being in a 'bind' to trigger it. Yes, that all makes sense."

Banner smiled down at his students. "Nya. Hopefully, the judges will buy this explanation and allow you to test. You are a most unique student, Jaden, I would hate to lose you."

"Awesome! Thanks a bunch, Dr. B," Jaden grinned up at the cat, and Banner waved dismissively.

"It is nothing special. Though," Banner looked down at the TM he still held, "if you are going to have your first official match, you should learn this. It cannot hurt."

Jaden looked at the ball. "What do I do?"

"Just sit still, nya." Banner leaned down and pressed a button on the TM. The panels of the ball folded open, revealing a multitude of mechanical inner workings and a soft light. Four prongs sprung from the ball and the Persian set the points against Jaden's forehead. "Relax, clear your mind and empty it of thoughts."

"Shouldn't be too hard for him," Chumley grinned slightly, and Syrus stuck his tongue out at him.

Jaden closed his eyes and tried to do just that. His antennae lowered as he relaxed. Banner pressed another button on the ball, and the light intensified briefly, before winking out. He removed the emptied TM and set it aside.

"Woah," The Venonat blinked and lifted his head. "That's it?"

"That's it," Banner grinned. "Return is kind of a fickle attack. It can be powerful, but it depends on your state of mind. If you are focused and positive, it will be very effective, but if you are angry, frustrated, or not paying attention, it will fail. Some say it is strengthened by friendship... I suppose in a way that is so."

"All right! Good thing I've got some great buddies!" Jaden slung his arms around Syrus and Chumley, surprising them both. The Venonat laughed happily, and the other two were forced to smile.

"Nya, yes. Now, you go and study. All of this will be pointless if you end up failing your test anyway, Jaden." Banner picked up his clipboard and went over to his cluttered desk.

"Don't worry, I won't letcha down!" Jaden waved over Syrus's shoulder, and the trio exited the room.

---

"Moltres, you know I've never asked you for anything before - well, mostly because I've only been here a week or so, but still! I'm begging you, please, please let me pass this test..." Syrus kneeled in front of a poster of Moltres in flight. Flickering candles threw shadows over the picture ominously, made long by the dim early morning light.

Syrus sat back and sighed. He had awoken with the sun and had studied for an hour or so, but they had covered so much material already, and he knew there was no way he would remember half of it for the test. Conventional methods failing, he had taken to praying to the dorm's mascot for divine assistance. He gazed up at the poster. "If you can hear me, give me a -"

RIIIIIIING!

The Eevee yelped and leaped up onto the desk in fright, every inch of fur puffed out and ruffled. He whined and gripped the ends of his ears, holding them shut to help muffle the piercing sound. Jaden, however, slept right through the alarm. Syrus made his way to Jaden's bunk, reaching over the Venonat and turning off the alarm for him.

"How can he not hear that thing, it's right beside his head... Come on, Jaden, wake up, we've got to get to class," Syrus shook Jaden's shoulder, frowning. "We'll be late to the test..."

"Naa, tackle!" Jaden mumbled sleepily, his arm shot out without warning. Syrus narrowly dodged it, but couldn't leap out of the way when it came back and gripped the Eevee around his shoulders, yanking him down into the bed.

"Veeee! Jaden!" Syrus squealed and tried to writhe away, but Jaden was far away in his dream battle and rolled on top of his friend heedlessly. The Venonat murmured something victorious and incomprehensible, and resettled himself, apparently perfectly comfortable on top of the smaller 'morph.

"J-Jaden, wake up!" Syrus begged, trying to bite back an embarrassed whimper. His face felt warm. This would look awfully weird if someone saw them. But Jaden was fast asleep, chin resting on Syrus's shoulder with a goofy grin. The other boy wasn't really heavy, but being pinned under him was a strange, uncomfortable sensation for the Eevee. Not even uncomfortable, really, just weird, and --

And he was going to be late to class if he didn't find a way to break away from Jaden's slumbering embrace.

He managed to move Jaden's head aside and slowly scooted out from under him, leaving the bug to slump onto his mattress. Jaden shifted in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Syrus felt himself frowning, and he shook Jaden with all the strength his short arms could muster. "You're going to sleep right through the test!"

"Let him sleep, Sy," Chumley's voice sounded from several bunks above him, "If he's not there for the arena test, it means we won't have to fight him!"

"I don't care if I do have to fight him, I don't want him to get expelled," Syrus frowned more deeply and tried grasping Jaden's head, moving it back and forth. "Can you hear me, Jay?"

"Mnmnm, butterscotch," Jaden answered, smiling lazily. Syrus sighed and dropped Jaden's head.

"I guess I'll just save you a seat at the test," the Eevee admitted defeat and slid out of Jaden's bed, gathering up his backpack and trotting out the door.

---

Jaden rubbed his eyes as he ran down the path to the main exam hall. "Man, I got way too used to sleeping in over summer break!"

As he raced down the dusty path, he rushed by a run-down truck and the round Marill 'morph trying to push it up the hill. He stopped after several yards, glancing back and debating with himself momentarily. The Venonat sighed in defeat.

"Guess my sweet tooth is starting to get to my personality," he shrugged happily, and ran back to help the old woman.

---

"The three types of evolution are... special defense, speed, and attack... vee," Syrus mumbled into his exam booklet, drifting in and out of consciousness, "Come on, sleep, stop Jadening..."

"Hey, I'm not the one snoozing," a familiar voice laughed near his ear, and the Eevee jolted upright.

"Jaden! I didn't think you were gonna come," Syrus looked up at his friend.

"Naa, you know me, I just like being fashionably late," Jaden grinned and set his backpack down, and was ready to sit himself down next to it when a bolt of electricity suddenly struck his desk from above. The Venonat narrowly dodged it and looked around for his would-be attacker.

"Either leave or shut up," Chazz hissed from the row behind him, "I don't see why we have to share a test hall with you losers..."

"Oh, hey, Chazz," Jaden waved, completely unruffled, "You feelin' better?"

The Raichu glared and lowered his ears, but he was interrupted before he could retort.

"Jaden, good of you to arrive, nya," Banner grinned and held up an exam booklet, "Come get your test."

Jaden retrieved his book and soon sat beside the Eevee, alternating between pouring over his booklet, chewing on his pencil, staring at the ceiling, or, rarely, actually writing down an answer. Soon, students were turning in their tests and leaving, and most seemed to be in a hurry. When Jaden finally got to the last question, he just barely managed to scribble out a response before yawning and setting his head on his desk. A warm weight leaned against his side, and he peeked over his arm. Syrus was already fast asleep. The Venonat smiled and closed his eyes happily, content to join him --

Until an amused, slightly digitized voice brought him back to the land of the living.

"I doubt you two want to take a nap at the moment," Bastion tilted his head at them, and Syrus looked up sleepily. "Don't you know about the rare technique machines?"

"Rare whowahs?" Jaden opened one eye and looked up at the Porygon.

"The school ordered a batch of rare TMs to help students prepare for their first arena fight of the year," Bastion nodded toward the door, "You may want to get a few before they're all snatched up."

"Woah, really?" Jaden stood up, and Syrus followed suit. "I've had enough to do with TMs for a week, but what about you, pal?"

"Considering my best move is Sand-Attack, I could probably use one," Syrus rubbed his eye and frowned.

"Haha, let's go, then!" Jaden ran off in the direction that Bastion had indicated, waving as he went.

---

But when Syrus and Jaden entered the island's bookstore-dash-PokéMart, it was strangely empty.

"Na, they can't be out already..." Jaden's antennae drooped, and he strolled up to the counter, "Hey, do you have any TMs left?"

"Sorry, boys," the Mawile counter-girl frowned with both her regular mouth and the far toothier, crocodilian muzzle hanging off the back of her head. Sy grimaced and retreated behind Jaden. "No HMs or TMs left, but we might have some X Speed or Defend." She rummaged around beneath the counter.

"That's it?" Jaden and Syrus frowned, and Jaden looked down at the Eevee. "Well, it's better than nothing, right?"

"Oh, it's you!" Another voice came from behind the counter, and everyone looked to its source. A plump, cheerful Marill woman stood there, wearing the same uniform as the Mawile. "You're the sweet bug who helped me with my car this morning, aren't you?"

Jaden shuffled his feet and shrugged, grinning, "Hey, I gotta earn my merit badges somehow."

The Water-Type chuckled. "I thought I'd be seeing you around here. I'm Ms. Dorothy," she introduced, "And I saved something for you."

She produced a TM from her pocket and set it on the counter. "That's Dig, the only rare TM I managed to save this morning. Someone came by and bought every last one, unfortunately for the other students. But, one good deed deserves another."

"Thanks, Ms. Dorothy!" Jaden looked down at Syrus, "Think that'll do, bud?"

"Wha... me? But she gave it to you," Syrus looked up at him, eyes wide, "I couldn't --"

"Naa, I just got that one TM last night, you need it more than I do," Jaden insisted, and Ms. Dorothy murmured a quiet 'aww'.

"Jaden, I..."

"It's nothin'! Just be sure to kick some butt with it and we'll call it even," Jaden smiled and winked. Syrus's ears relaxed, and he smiled gratefully, briefly hugging the taller boy.

"Well, if either of you ever need anything, just ask," Dorothy smiled at them, "I'd be glad to have some customers who are as sweet and polite as you two. Most of the other boys are so pushy and greedy."

"Sure will, Ms. D," Jaden waved, "Let's go get ready for our fights, Sy! You can try out your new move on me."

"Jaden, I would never --" but the Eevee's words fell on deaf ears - or antennae, as it were - and he had to run to catch up to the Venonat, "Wait up!"

---

"Sorry, Thunder, we couldn't get you any TMs," the Seviper slithered over to Chazz's side, head lowered respectfully. "Some weird dude in a coat came by and bought them all..."

"That's good," Chazz didn't look up from his marked exam book, checking over his few errors. His voice dipped to a low and dangerous tone, "Because I didn't ask you to get any."

"What?" the Skarmory wasn't far behind the Seviper, "But we figured..."

"You figured wrong," Chazz gripped his paper tightly, glaring at them both out of the corner of his eye. "Don't make any more stupid assumptions like that. Got it?"

His friends nodded meekly, and he muttered under his breath. "I don't need any TMs when the arena test is going to be as easy as this exam. Only one other sophomore would have a shot at beating me, and she--"

"What if your opponent was a freshman?" a mysterious voice suddenly sounded from the stairs the Raichu and his friends were loitering beside, "Specifically, Jaden Yuki?"

Chazz looked up and scowled at the coat-clad intruder. "What are you talking about? I'd crush that insect, but he's in another dorm and another grade."

"I'm sure you would," the stranger smiled wickedly, "But are you sure you're strong enough with your current moves?"

"Excuse me?" Chazz growled, and his friends stepped out of range of his lashing tail, "Who are you, anyway?"

"That's the guy that bought all the TMs this morning!" the Skarmory recognized him, and Crowler flung his jacket open, revealing himself. The inside of the coat was lined with TM balls, and all fifty varieties were represented.

"We have a common enemy, you and I," Crowler smirked, "I'm certain I could arrange something for you two. In fact, I'm willing to let you have your pick of the rare TMs! Perhaps you'd like to blast him with Hyper Beam - or since you seem so fond of hitting things with it anyway, how about Iron Tail?"

Chazz realized he was tapping the bolt-shaped tip of his tail against the floor in irritation, and withdrew it self-consciously. "I'll fight Jaden, all right, but you can keep your stupid moves."

Crowler and Chazz's friends exchanged confused looks. The Ice-Type was incredulous. "You can't be serious - how could you pass up a chance like this? I put down good money for all of these!"

"Yeah, Thunder, come on! You really would be unstoppable if you knew all of those!" the Seviper nodded toward the wide array of potential moves dangling from the inner lining of Crowler's coat.

The Raichu was silent. He strode up the stairs to Crowler, and drew himself up onto the tip-toes of his long feet so he could meet the teacher eye-to eye. The Jynx blinked and backed away slightly.

"No one, not you, not anyone, makes me use those things," Chazz spoke in a dark tone far more serious than the irritated edge his voice usually had, "or HMs, or stat boosters, or anything else. Understand?"

Crowler nodded, too mute to do anything else. Chazz lowered himself. "I'll fight Jaden, and I'll beat him. And I'll do it without you or your precious TMs."

The Raichu walked past Crowler and out the door, not even his footsteps making a sound. When he was gone, Crowler raised a blond eyebrow and looked back at Chazz's two abandoned companions.

"What's his problem?"

They could only shrug.

---

"Wonder who I'm gonna be up against," Jaden nearly bounced in place as he waited on the arena, and distracted himself by loudly cracking his knuckles. "Lemme think... Bug beats Psychic, Psychic beats Poison, Poison beats... what does Poison beat? Naaaaa, forget it, I just wanna get on to the fight!"

"We'll see if you're so eager when you see your opponent," Crowler sneered nearby, and motioned to the other end of the arena. Sure enough, a long-tailed Raichu stepped into place and straightened the collar of his blazer.

"Woah, I'm gonna be fighting him?" Jaden blinked, puzzled for a moment.

"You seem quite keen on proving yourself, so I decided to give you an opportunity for advancement," Crowler made a steeple with his fingers, "If, by some miracle you happen to pass this test, you will advance to Zapdos Yellow immediately."

"I'm not going to mess around this time, either, insect," Chazz narrowed his eyes, "Ready to fry?"

But the looming sneers of both the Raichu and the Jynx were completely ineffectual. Jaden stretched his arms over his head and laughed happily. "You bet! This is great!"

"What!"

"I came here for a good fight, and now I know I'm gonna get one! Whoo!" Jaden finished stretching and gave Chazz a friendly thumbs-up.

"Ch, fine," Chazz's grinning sneer became an irritated grimace. "I'm just glad I'm going to get to finish crushing you."

"Glad we're both happy, then, Chazz!" Jaden grinned, and the Raichu bristled, clenching his fists.

"It's Thunder!"

A klaxon signaling the start of the fight sounded, and Crowler stepped back to give the two boys a wide berth.

Chazz was already crackling with electricity, and wasted no time attacking. Jaden only managed to catch sight of a blue blur leaping into the air before it slammed into his chest and shoulders, and he was shoved backwards. Even as he was falling, a pair of long feet dug their claws into his shoulder and used it as a launching pad, sending him into the ground even harder.

Jaden winced on the floor and rubbed his bruised shoulder, but he was alert enough to scan the room for his opponent. His antennae picked up an angry "Cha!" from somewhere behind him, and he turned in time to get hit in the face with an arc of electricity.

Besides momentarily scrambling all his senses, it left him numb and twitchy, and when he tried to will himself up, he couldn't move. It was two seconds into the fight, and Chazz already had him at his mercy.

The Venonat almost worried, but the sound of a warning bell rang out and distracted both boys. For a moment, the fight was halted.

"Foul. All special attacks must be declared," a Sneasel judge marked something on her sheet, "5 point penalty to Mr. Princeton."

"That was Thunder Wave! Ch..." Chazz's ears flattened back in indignation, and he glowered at the judge, "That's such a stupid rule --"

"Would you like me to mark another three points off for arguing with a judge?" Another judge, a Swellow raised his eyebrow, beak frowning with disapproval. Chazz's ears fell lower, but he became quiet.

The brief distraction gave Jaden some time to recover, and he concentrated. He had never tried the move he was about to do, but physical attacks were useless to him at the moment.

The bell rang again, and the Swellow nodded. "You may continue."

Jaden managed to lift his hand away from the floor and unleashed the inexperienced psychic attack in Chazz's general direction. "Confusion!"

Chazz was still muttering about the ruling when a streak of distorted air hit his shoulder. He hissed in pain, gripping his burnt blazer and whirled to face the paralyzed Venonat, dark grey eyes gleaming with fury. "That's it."

The Raichu's tail suddenly drove itself into the floor of the arena. Jaden faintly recalled something from his last fight with Chazz, but he was still too numb from Thunder Wave to move and disrupt the attack. Chazz was lifting himself off the floor, and electricity danced over him as he gathered power.

In the stands, Syrus, Chumley and Bastion watched with concern. They had either already tested or were still waiting for their turn.

"What is that attack? Chazz almost did it last time, and even Alexis seemed worried," Sy wondered, turning to Bastion.

Bastion frowned, but recalled the information with the efficiency of a computer. "That's the beginning of a Thunder attack, the most powerful Electric move. Raichu are particularly skilled at summoning it; Thunder is so strong that most Electric-types are apt to knock themselves out when they use it, but Raichu and their previous evolutions can use their tail to ground themselves."

"Oh no," Syrus's ears fell limply, and he gripped the back of the seat in front of him. "Jaden! Get up! Do something!"

Jaden's antennae perked and he looked over in Sy's direction. He tried to kick his leg, but was only able to wiggle his toes, unable to fight off the strong paralysis Thunder Wave had left him. The Venonat shrugged helplessly at his friend. The electricity running over Chazz's form had become much brighter, and was getting stronger by the second.

"You gotta get up, Jay!" Sy whimpered, sitting up and leaning forward to cheer his friend on. "Please!"

"I'm afraid it's not a matter of choice; Chazz's earlier attack has scrambled his central nervous system," Bastion shook his head, "Shouting isn't going to change that --"

Chumley scowled at Bastion, and the Snorlax stood, joining Sy in cheering. "Go on, Jaden! You can do it!"

The Porygon looked at the other two in confusion. "There's not much he can do, he's been completely disabled -"

Jaden had been grimacing and struggling to lift himself from the floor, encouraged by the cheers, but oddly enough, it was Bastion that gave him the strength to sit up. "I know what to do! Thanks, Bastion!"

Bastion was completely lost now, but Jaden forcibly grabbed his arm and aimed it at the now brilliantly-glowing Raichu.

"THUN--"

"Disable!"

The glow around Chazz suddenly died, as if someone had thrown a switch. Chazz blinked, still hovering in the air and curled up in concentration. He tried to regain his charge, but it was suddenly as inaccessible to him as it would've been to a Normal-type.

"Ch!" The Raichu could no longer even muster a Spark or a Thunder Shock, and his feet fell back to the ground. It was a disquieting sensation, and he became distracted by his effort to draw on his internal current.

Meanwhile, Jaden managed to do a twitchy victory pose from his place on the floor, and grinned at the Raichu. "Let's see whatcha can do now!"

Chazz lifted his head and snarled, baring his teeth even though they were considerably less intimidating than Jaden's fanged smile. But he answered Jaden's challenge; he ran head long at the bug and lunged the last few yards, throwing his weight onto Jaden's prone stomach and knocking the air out of him.

But the Slam also succeeded in knocking Jaden out of his paralysis, and he grabbed onto the Raichu out of sheer reflex. Bereft of his electricity and in too awkward of a position to easily break out of the grasp, Chazz could only watch in horror as Jaden zeroed in on his vulnerable ear.

"Leech Life!" Jaden announced before biting down, crumpling the tip of Chazz's ear between his fangs. Though they didn't dig in hard enough to draw blood, they could still release a lethargy-inducing venom that sapped the Raichu's strength.

But while Jaden's Disable made it impossible for Chazz to shock anything consciously, his internal current was as strong as ever, and as it turned out, Venonat fangs were fine conductors of electricity. Jaden yelped as he was struck by the Raichu's latent static charge.

Chazz used the opportunity to yank his ear free and struggle out of Jaden's arms, leaping back to his feet. He was slower now, though, and his bitten ear hung limply at the side of his head. Jaden finally stood as well, shaking off the jolt and brushing himself off.

He only had a moment to recuperate before Chazz's tail came at his head, cracking like a whip in the air. The sound startled the Venonat and nearly sent him falling back to the floor, but the strike never hit. Instead, the tail withdrew and snapped at the air on the other side, forcing Jaden to jump back again. Chazz advanced, glowering and bristling his fur. The Tail Whips did no damage, but they kept Jaden too busy dodging to go on the offense, and would let the Raichu bide his time until Disable wore off.

"Naa! Cut it out!" Jaden hopped and recoiled at every strike, putting his arms over his head defensively. He was soon backed into a corner, and the edge of Chazz's angry grimace became a smirk. The smirk became an all-out victory sneer when he finally got his tail to electrify again, and the crackling bolt-shaped tip loomed over Jaden's head. He gulped.

He tried to think of some attack, anything, but trying to tackle Chazz would be a bad idea, and the panic of trying to dance away from Chazz's tail had left him too winded to formulate much of a strategy with non-physical attacks. He curled his claws into fists and bit his lip in determination, but determination to do what exactly, he didn't know. Chazz was older, quicker and obviously far more experienced at fighting. Maybe this was just a fight he couldn't win...

"All your little Disable trick did was buy you some time, insect," Chazz leered, and the electrical aura spread to encompass the rest of the Raichu, "But now it's time to end this!"

In the stands, Syrus almost looked away and hid his face in his hands. But for the first time in a long time, he had something stronger than his fear and worry. His loyalty to his new friend gave him the strength to cast aside his doubts, and he set his face into a serious look more befitting of his brother. "Jaden!"

Jaden looked over in his direction, antennae cocked curiously. The shout had startled Chazz as well, and he paused in his Charge to scowl at the Eevee. "Stay out of this, runt!"

The old Syrus might have recoiled at that, but now he just leaned forward and raised a small, determined fist. "You can win this, Jaden! I know you can! Don't let him push you around!"

Jaden started to grin, and Chumley echoed Sy's sentiment. "You better kick some butt, Jaden!"

Bastion tilted his head at the other two, observing them curiously. The odds against Jaden winning, as far as he could calculate, were quite slim at this point. But the other two Moltres students had such boundless, illogical faith in their friend's abilities. Could it be that, perhaps sometimes, the answer didn't lay in logic? He sensed the opportunity for an experiment, and surprised the other two by rising to his feet and joining them in shouting. "No matter the odds, you're still in this fight, Jaden! I've observed your skills in action before -- I'm confident that you can still achieve victory!"

"Aww..." Jaden's grin spread across his face, and his antennae lowered. He was genuinely touched. "You guys are the greatest! In fact..." His blissful grin became a knowing smile, and he stood up straight. "I think I know what to do now."

"Stop butting in!" Chazz turned and hissed at the peanut gallery, ready to unleash his electrical attack on them instead. Syrus and Chumley almost hesitated, but the moment had caught Bastion by surprise and he leaned forward, grinning defiantly.

"Go ahead and shock us if you want, but I'd be more worried about Jaden at the moment, if I were you!"

Chazz's ears twitched in momentary confusion, and he glanced back over his shoulder. The Venonat had taken on a strange white glow. Caught off guard, Chazz lifted his arms to quickly let loose his attack --

But the weakening poison of Leech Life was still with him, and Jaden was faster.

"Return!"

The bug-type held his arms forward and unleashed a beam of blinding white light that hit Chazz square in the chest. The force of the attack sent the lightweight Raichu flying clear across the arena and slammed him into the opposite wall. He arched in pain, pinned against the wall until the attack finally dissipated. When the light faded, he slumped down to his knees, swaying.

"Raaiiii..." Chazz still crackled weakly, but he was unable to stay upright. He fell forward and hit the ground, unconscious.

Jaden lowered his hands cautiously, and relaxed when he saw that Chazz had fallen. He jumped into a victory pose, pointing at his KO'd foe. "Yeah! I totally gotcha with the power of friendship!"

An uninhibited smile broke out across Syrus's face, and his tail wagged enough to annoy the students sitting several seats behind him with the dust it stirred. But he didn't remain there long; without warning, he scrambled to the top of the seat in front of him and used it as a launching pad to leap into the arena itself, running up and tackling Jaden with a hug. "I knew you'd win!"

"Naaa, it was nothing!" Jaden grinned past the pain that set in now that his adrenaline had subsided, and caught Sy, leaning down and squeezing him back.

A few Chansey nurses walked onto the field to scoop Chazz's limp form into a stretcher, and carted him off to the Center. Jaden waved as they took him away. "Hey, guys, when he wakes up, tell him that was an awesome fight! Man!"

Chumley and Bastion weren't far behind Syrus, but they chose the more conventional route and took the stairs down into the arena.

"Well done, Jaden," Bastion congratulated him, "Once again, you have defied the odds. Perhaps statistics aren't all they're cracked up to be."

"Odds, schmods! Having buddies like you guys totally tips everything in my favor!" Jaden looked at them over Sy's shoulder and gave them a thumbs-up.

"Then, allow me to be the first one to welcome you to Zapdos Yellow," Bastion bowed his head slightly, and Chumley nodded.

"You really deserve it, after that. I knew there was no way you were staying in Red long!"

Syrus's ears perked up, then slowly lowered. He had forgotten about that aspect of Jaden's victory. But he didn't loosen his hug, staring at the wall away from Jaden and his friends. He was glad they couldn't see his face.

Chumley's right, he deserves this. As long as we can still be friends, it doesn't matter what dorm he's in... It shouldn't, anyway...

Nevertheless, the Eevee lowered his head slightly, burying his nose in the red material of Jaden's jacket and memorizing the scent.

---

Syrus set his chin on his hand, hunched over his desk and staring into the patterns in the wood grain. His ears hung still at the sides of his head, and even his tail had become a dead weight. The way that one whorl of wood grain bent and twisted looked so familiar, and he found himself unconsciously unsheathing one of his claws and scratching a pair of antennae onto it...

"Uh, Syrus?" Chumley's bed creaked as he turned over, looking down at the Eevee with some concern. "You okay? You seem kinda bummed..."

"Eee!" Syrus quickly withdrew his hand, and folded his arms over what he had been carving onto his desk. He set his head on top of his arms for good measure. "It's nothing, Chumley."

Silence hung heavily in the air of the cramped dorm room for a few long minutes, until it was broken by a heavy knock. Syrus's ears lifted, and he went to the door, opening it fractionally.

That half inch was all Jaden needed to bull his way into the room, and Syrus stumbled back in surprise. "J-Jaden, what are you doing here? Why are you still wearing red?"

"What, don't think it's my color?" Jaden grinned and grabbed the lapel of his coat, winking at the flabbergasted Eevee. "Sheesh, a guy stays out late raiding all the vending machines and all of the sudden he's not welcomed back at his own dorm room!"

"You... but... I thought..." Syrus couldn't bite back the soft whimper that accompanied his shaky words. "I thought you had moved to Yellow..."

"Well, Yellow looks nice and all, but I had to turn down Dr. Crowler's offer," Jaden stretched his arms behind his head, "I like this place way too much!"

Syrus stood, still holding the doorknob and staring at Jaden in disbelief. But with a choked-up battle cry of Jaden's name, he launched himself at the Venonat and tackled him hard enough to send them both to the ground. He sobbed loudly into the red material of Jaden's coat. "I thought... I thought I had lost you forever!"

"Aww, pal, you can't get rid of me that easily," Jaden smiled toothily, quirking an eyebrow when Sy turned on the waterworks. "Hey, now, watch the jacket--"

Syrus lifted his face slightly, tears forging a trail of darkened, matted down fur over his muzzle and cheek. Jaden used the opportunity to tug his coat out of Sy's range, and something in Syrus was almost hurt that Jaden seemed to care more about his jacket than him...

But then the Venonat returned the hug and cradled Syrus's head back down, setting the Eevee's face directly into the fuzz of his neck this time, without a collar or lapel in the way. "Besides, red doesn't stain as easily, and it turns everyone's socks that awesome pink color in the wash!"

Though Jaden's voice still sounded carefree and casual, Syrus was momentarily rendered numb and lightheaded from the new feeling that had gripped him. He nuzzled his nose into Jaden's throat and kept crying, though he was smiling the entire time.

From his vantage point in the top bunk, Chumley watched his two roommates, and couldn't resist smiling either.